An Irish spin on science by science journalist Sean Duke

Irish scientist predicting ‘solar storms’

Solar storms, caused by eruptions of charged particles from the Sun can threaten the lives of astronauts working on the International Space Station as well as disrupt telecommunications and power systems on Earth.

The impacts can be dramatically reduced if such storms can be predicted and prepared for. That is exactly what Peter Gallagher, astrophysicist, and his team are doing at TCD – predicting the arrival of solar storms here on Earth.